07-18-2013, 01:17 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
Posts: 14,761
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Dr. Duck?
Midlife crisis is hitting hard.
Rather than chase women I decided I may be best off fulfilling a dream I have had my whole adult life and get a Ducati. As you all may recall, I was originally looking for a high performance off road bike like a KTM or a Husqvarna. But I have been riding off road less with the loss of Roger's enthusiasm for the sport, and I have been road riding more again. Plus I could not bring myself to spend $10,000 for a new ONE cylinder KTM!!! Then I started thinking about Ducks again. A nice like new condition Ducati a few years old can be had for $6,000-$8,000! Cheap! So I rode a few and checked out this 999 yesterday:-) Even though this one was a good deal I passed. It was only $8,000 (2006, 3,300 miles) with about $2,000 of modifications. It was too severe a riding position for me. It was OK on the behind and legs (tightly folded on the rearsets) but the strain on the neck and wrists was aweful for my 49 year old skeleton. I will focus on the ST4S, but there are none locally. Plus I want RED ;-)
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07-18-2013, 03:04 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
Posts: 436
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What's wrong with the riding position of Multistrada or Hypermotard?
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07-18-2013, 04:01 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
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Simply a matter of aesthetics for me. Plus I want the removable hard luggage and liquid cooled 4 valve engine.
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07-18-2013, 07:51 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 3,274
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Beautiful bikes! I've always been fond of the Monster... Reasonably priced as well!
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07-18-2013, 08:08 PM | #5 |
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Purty, but I can understand not liking the body positioning. I got eight years on ya, Doc, and my knees hurt just looking at it.
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07-18-2013, 10:38 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
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Funny my knees could stand it (not like it...) but my wrists and neck would give out in about an hour. Max.
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07-18-2013, 11:25 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Germany
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Your clutch cover is missing
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07-19-2013, 01:22 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ChCh , NZ
Posts: 2,265
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The Ducati ST4 is better suited to us old hasbeens/wantabes...
KTM 990 or 1190 and yer can still wander up a gravel road or easy track/trail if yer want.. PS.. the thread heading... DR Duck ?.... shouldn't it have been DR Duke ?
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07-19-2013, 11:12 AM | #9 | |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Sardis, BC, Canada
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Quote:
I second Doc's comment about wrists and neck. My upper body mass (which is more than it should be) is squarely placed on my wrists upon braking in a sport bike position. I'll take a more upright position in my middle age. That said, I've never seen a Ducati that I didn't like.
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07-19-2013, 12:06 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
Posts: 14,761
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07-19-2013, 12:08 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
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+100 on the ST4. I think I'll keep looking for a ST4S or maybe an ST3S. I want red.... VERY slim pickings. I've been looking in ID, WA, and OR and even Northern CA and very few available.
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07-19-2013, 12:09 PM | #12 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
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The Dukes are great but my motorcycling dream for 25 years has been red I-Talian ;-)
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07-19-2013, 04:59 PM | #13 |
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Peterborough, ON
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Forget the Duck and go for the VFR. Between that awesome V4 Wail and cam gears whining on the 1998 and previous models, that alone was almost worth the price of admission. The seating ergonomics are obviously better too and perhaps the price of parts. Do you really need carbon fiber to expell exhaust gas? (No..but cool)
Now...all that said, I really had a woody for the Ducati Paso when I was a little younger and had my GS 500 suzuki. |
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07-19-2013, 05:52 PM | #14 |
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Southeastern Washington desert
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Your point is well taken. I had a VFR800FI for about 6 years and 30,000 miles and loved it. I will always regret selling it. Indeed I looked at an 2004 recently I could have had cheap recently but passed for two reasons:
1. I already had one and I like new things sometimes. 2. It's not a Duck ;-)
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07-23-2013, 12:42 PM | #15 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Idaho
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X2. I really enjoy the "standard" riding position, and don't think I would enjoy riding a bike in a crouched position.
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